Category
✨
PeopleTranscript
00:00Because I feel that you've tried to sweep this issue under the carpet.
00:03But there's nothing to sweep under the carpet. I have been transparent with all of this.
00:09I have not held any information back.
00:13Where's the email trail? So we've got...
00:14Well that was not my doing and I have asked the Assistant Clerk why that was in terms
00:21of... I had nothing to do... I have no role in terms of what goes out in the committee
00:25packs. No role at all.
00:27You will remember two weeks ago that I did ask for the timestamp.
00:30The Clerk does not work to me. I do not see the information for it sent out. He worked
00:35to this committee. So the fact that it went out without a date stamp has nothing to do
00:40with me.
00:41Well as Chair of this committee will you assure that the information has been requested?
00:44I asked the Clerk at the meeting two weeks ago to ensure that happened and I don't know
00:49why that hasn't happened. He's not here today. He has not been in work for a number of days.
00:53I have not had an opportunity since the committee pack came out to ask him why that was the
00:57case.
00:58Well will you ensure that for next week's papers, once again reiterate that's in it?
01:04Yes.
01:05All the correspondence that has taken place between yourself, the DALO, yourself and...
01:09I never engage with the DALO. I never engage with the First Minister. I never engage with
01:14anybody. I engage with the Clerk who does all the work.
01:16It's important to have this information put out transparent in the public domain and I
01:20hope you as Chair will ensure that's done. I still would make the point that I would
01:24like a proposal put to the meeting that if there is somebody of a political nature that's
01:29a witness to this committee, request a meeting of such nature that this committee is informed
01:35prior to you agreeing to go on.
01:37Well I explained last week why the timing was very difficult and why that was the only
01:44opportunity to get it out. I feel that I've answered this enough. There is nothing, I
01:49haven't done anything outside my roles and responsibilities as the Chair of this committee.
01:53And if people had of, and to pick up on Brian's point, Brian I appreciate that you think that
01:59there's maybe some questions that weren't answered, but I crafted my questions in such
02:03a way that they're related to the work of this committee so I could ask them. So, and
02:08then whenever Harry's questions weren't in relation to it I said could you please couch
02:12it in relation to the Executive Office Committee. He's had days without legal advice to think
02:16about how the questions should be crafted.
02:18I did craft mine all around the Ministerial Code.
02:21Yours were for the Assembly Commission and then you did get the answers back.
02:26Mine were for, they had the First Minister here in front of us. It was all about a confidential piece.
02:31It's the Standards Commissioners about the Ministerial Code, go ahead.